Experience on Everest Simulation - Case Study Example

Running Header: Report on Everest Simulation Surname: First Names: Student Number: Institution: Course Number: Course Name: Assignment Due Date: Title Report Experience on Everest Simulation Word count: 2302 Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Executive summary 4 1.0 Introduction 5 2.0 Experiences 6 3.0 Groups and teams 6 3.1 Decision making process 7 3.2 Team spirit 8 3.3 Prediction 8 3.4 Accessibility and analysis of information 9 4.0 Leadership 9 4.1 Resource mobilization 10 4.2 Project Plan 10 4.3 Ability to inspire team vision 11 4.4 Proper communication 11 4.5 Competence 12 5.0 Conclusion 12 14 Appendixes 15 Executive summary This report was commissioned to critically evaluate the experience of Everest Simulation in terms of learning at both individual and group. This report has managed to evaluate role of learning both at individual and group level. Communication was considered as the key source of success for this summit. This is because it is through communication that the team was able to agree on the way forward as well as communicate with teammates on important matters. The report has also managed to establish that there are various factors that influence the success or failure process which include: decision making process, team spirit, prediction and accessibility and analysis of information. The report has also found that in terms of leadership, there are various functions that leadership is responsible for which include: resource mobilization, project Plan, ability to inspire team vision, proper communication and competence. Finally, this report has managed to conclude by looking at some of the important lessons that have been learnt with regard to learning and management based on the Everest simulation experience. 1.0 Introduction Learning is an important process of an individual life. This is because it helps one develop effective ways of thinking, reasoning, perceiving and interpreting issues under various contexts. Learning is considered very vital both for individual and team or group development. Use of simulation is one of the important strategies that are considered essential in supporting the learning process. Simulation helps individuals develop individual and group management skills. Some of the important skills that are developed through simulation include: building teams, playing in teams, managing teams, making good group and individual decisions, solving problems and formulating strategies on how to go about different challenges and dispatching information (Barnes 2004). In an ideal environment and personal lives, people are faced with various challenges which may originate from the person or the group itself or from outside. In management internal challenges, may include lack of enough resources to execute different plans. On the contrary, the challenges that are external include: competition and change in technology among many others. Our experience in the web-based Leadership and Team Simulation: Everest experience was very vital in learning and developing many of these important skills. The exercise was very vital in developing leadership and teamwork management skills. The primary objective of this report is to critically evaluate all the experiences that were encountered both at team and individual level while at the Everest simulation. In addition, this report will further discuss how important the experience was in developing both our individual and group management techniques. This particularly will be done by looking how various experiences in management can lead to the attainment of different goals. 2.0 Experiences Even though the experience was out of class work, we the participants had the opportunity to perfect and learn how different skills can be used to better both management skills both at individual and group level. The main objective of this simulation was to help find out ways in which different styles of management can be used to achieve both team and individual goals. This was well enhanced with what experienced at the Everest experience. The experience was important in correlating different aspects of theory into actual environment. This is because at the simulation everybody was expected to work in a group even though interests could be different. In a team there is always a possibility of having different individual interests and the challenge is to bring together different individuals with different interests to work together. 3.0 Groups and teams The team experience was an amazing one. This is because for the second time we were expected to face the reality of working together for a common goal. During the Everest simulation summit we expected to deal with different aspects including accessing and interpreting weather forecast information such as temperatures and wind speed, assessment of individual health conditions to determine individual fitness for the summit, the availability of the required equipments such as the inhalers, the blood pressure monitors, Gamow bags and food. Apart from ensuring that all sources of supplies had been identified, it was important to determine the team goals as well as the individuals (Bukszar & Collonolly 2001). The individual goal was to summit the Everest Mountain as the fastest person. Communication was considered as the key source of success for this summit. This is because it is through communication that the team will get to agree on the way forward as well as communicate with teammates on important matters. While at the simulation exercise, it was found that team success greatly depended on individual effort and contribution to the team spirit. The following are the factors that were found to be influential to the success or failure of the team. 3.1 Decision making process Decision making process is considered very important in any team. However, the process is influenced by different factors that directly or indirectly affect the team and that include individual perceptions, cognitive biasness and team goals and objectives. Cognitive biasness is determined by the level at which individual allow themselves to be guided by their own judgments and beliefs in making important decisions with regard to the business rather than following the already existing organizational rules which supersedes all other rules. However, team rules are perceived to be the thumb rule for many of the teams in making important decisions with regard to groups, cognitive biasness is considered and perceived to be one of the key pillars that guide the process. This is greatly determined by the previous individual experiences that different team members hold. In reference to the case of Everest simulation, it is eminent that some of the past experiences on the challenges and factors that affect the overall performance of climbers were brought forth and they affected the process of making important decisions (Meyer 2004). Cognitive bias is also considered by many scholars as an important tool for the decision makers to ensure optimum utilization of resources for team development. This is because cognitive biasness is depended on individual previous experiences that are important in ensuring that previous mistakes are not repeated in the current learning processes. Cognitive biasness is perceived to affect the process of learning since it determines the level of independence individuals develop with regard to developing judgments with those situations that seem to be uncertain. 3.2 Team spirit According to my experience, the team success greatly depends on the individual determination to work and support team activities. This involves sharing of ideas that are important in ensuring that good results are realized (Barnes 2004). In the Everest simulation, this is demonstrated when one of the climbers, Liao Joshua failed to receive inhaler from his medical kit. But because of good relationship among the team members he was assisted by the next climbing party. This clearly indicated how working together can help the team and individuals their respective goals by avoiding some the unnecessary challenges on the way. Team spirit is considered very vital since it enables individuals solve their respective problems with the support of the other members. 3.3 Prediction Making proper and timely predictions is very necessary for the team. This is because it tells what are the likely risks that the team is expected to face during their venture. From the simulation this is particularly demonstrated when the team members were expected to predict the weather conditions at different camps. In an ideal environment, more especially in the management context, predictions are used to determine whether the team or an organization has the capacity in terms of equipment and resources to manage all risks (Meyer 2004). During the simulation lack of proper predictions on temperatures remained a big problem for the climbers. This can be likened to the competition in the operating environment where a team in management can be affected by external forces such as competitions and legal frameworks that govern each public activity. 3.4 Accessibility and analysis of information Information is used to make important decisions for the team. It helps in determining the next course of action. During the Everest simulation availability of information about the weather condition the next camps was used to determine whether the summit will continue or hold on for sometime to let the conditions improve (Barnes 2004). Resting or deciding to continue with the climbing greatly depended on the information that the team had gathered. Information was used to make judgments on whether there were causalities of health related conditions that will need some time to recover. In all situations be it in the management environment or in an organization, information is processed and determined to decide whether the strategy execution will continue as expected or not. 4.0 Leadership Leadership is very critical in any situation where many people are involved. Leadership is important in bringing all parties together. In a team event, the leadership is mainly responsible for ensuring that organizational goals are well formulated and that they are achievable. Goals are used to enable the members remain on course without deviating from the activities that will help the team achieve its goals (Meyer 2004). Refer to appendix 1 below which shows how both individual and team goals were determined during the simulation. Clear definition and setting of goals is the first step towards success. The following are the major roles that were observed to very vital for any leadership of any situation: 4.1 Resource mobilization As the simulation management team, there is need to ensure that all aspects of cost are taken into consideration. They involve the amount of funds required to execute the project. The resources that were required for our simulation included: the inhalers, food, blood pressure monitors and Gamow bags. Resource mobilization is based on the ability to determine the overall cost of completing the exercise. On the other hand full assessment of the simulation work is supposed to be done and the length of time it could take to get into completion. The ultimate goal of doing the general assessment of the whole work is to determine the actual time the exercise is likely to take before it gets into completion and the financial resources that will be required to fund the project. In a managerial environment, resource mobilization is factor of strategy failure or success. 4.2 Project Plan A project plan refers to the approved formal document that is developed and used as a guide on how the project should be implemented and controlled. The main objective of generating a project plan is to ensure all project assumptions are taken into consideration and that appropriate decisions are made to inform all the stakeholders about the project aspects in terms of cost, scope and time schedules (Berkun 2005). In general terms, a project plan is a detailed summary of the likely events of the project process. The project plan preparation is the responsibility of the leadership team. This is because they are expected to determine the climbing is to start and when to end and all the activities need to be performed on the way. 4.3 Ability to inspire team vision A successful team leadership must be the one that is able to tell what is expected of the team. The leadership is expected to lead the team members towards realizing the simulation goals. From the simulation it was discovered that being a visionary leader, means that one must be able to drive the rest towards the expected goals by establishing new project boundaries. In other words a successful leader is supposed to be a person who is able to lift the others up, defend his steps as well as create a vision and the spirit to work towards achieving goals Successful leaders must always understand that they have an important stake in driving the team and their responsibilities are highly valued (Barnes 2004). Dreaming of a good project vision and bringing the rest to work towards that vision, is a very important characteristic of a successful team leader. 4.4 Proper communication Communication is a very important skill of a successful team leader. During the simulation for instance, the team leadership was expected to link with the Sherpas back at the base camp to get information about whether conditions an what is expected of the camp. Communication in management involves engaging people at all levels. For one to be a successful team leader, he should be able to articulate the project goals, team responsibilities, different performances as well as the expectations of each member and feedback (Berkun 2005). However, most important during communication is openness and facts. This was found to be a big challenge during the summit because information about the whether conditions more especially with temperature did no reflect clearly the reality on individual camps and therefore the climbers were expected to adjust immediately to the new conditions. It is through communication that the tem leader is able to establish good information links among the team members. 4.5 Competence This means that one must be able to know what he is doing. Leading a team of climbers required more experienced leadership. This includes individuals who have first hand information with regard to climbing mountains at Himalayas. This is because the environment was quite different from the one at Mount McKinley in North America. Competence does not only refer to technical abilities to the exercise requirements but also the individual ability to lead others. Therefore, this means that apart from being an expert in climbing mountains, a successful team leader must also be able to demonstrate some level of competence in leading different people towards achieving a common goal (Berkun 2005). A successful team leadership must always have a proven record of competence in climbing and in leadership. In other words, good leadership must be able to inspire the team members. Leaders are also expected demonstrate their capability in empowering others and being role models to what they live for. 5.0 Conclusion In concluding this report it is important to highlight that a number of lessons have been drawn. First, learning is an important process that helps one develop effective ways of thinking, reasoning, perceiving and interpreting issues under various contexts. Second, it is through communication that the team will get to agree on the way forward as well as communicate with teammates on important matters. The report has also established that there are several factors that determine team success or failure and they include: Decision making process, team spirit, Prediction and accessibility and analysis of information. On the other hand good leadership is characterized with the following features: Resource mobilization, project plan, Ability to inspire team vision, proper communication and competence. Generally, in order for the teams to realize the full benefits of learning, there is need to employ exploitative methods that ensure innovative ways are used to search for knowledge and experience from the past encounters. For organizations to accommodate learning, they ought to redesign their teams’ structure as one way of creating room for new cultures, strategies and processes. References Barnes, J. (2004). Cognitive biases and their impact on strategic planning. Strategic management journal, 5, 125-37. Berkun, S. (2005). The Art of Project Management. O'Reilly Media. p 609-611 Bukszar, E. & Collonolly, T. (2001). Hindsight bias and strategic choice: some problems in learning from experience. Academy of management journal, 31, 628-41. Meyer C. (2004). How the right measures help teams excel. Harvard Business Review. P. 95-103. Appendixes Appendix 1: Goals achieved by myself and the team during the simulation Goals Points Reach summit 0 Complete climb without needing to be rescued 3 Avoid getting frostbite 1 Your Points for Personal Goals 4 Round 2: Medical Challenge Points 0 Round 3: Weather Challenge Points 0 Round 4: Oxygen Tank Allocation Points 0 Your Total Points 4 Your Total Possible Points 9 Percent of Your Goals Achieved 44% Percent of Team Goals Achieved 35% Read More